Free Moonlight Warriors: A Tale of Two Hit Men by Joseph Rogers

“We have a full moon.”
    “Perhaps you’ll turn into a werewolf,” Jenny laughed.
    “Let’s hope not,” Charlie said.  “The moon certainly does have a lot of different meanings to different persons; priests, poets, philosophers, scientists, and storytellers --- the moon is an important image for all their mindsets.”
    Jenny reached over and gave him a hug.  “You are certainly a smart cowboy.”
    Charlie eyebrows raised.  He was pleasantly surprised; she had never previously hugged him.  A short while ago, Charlie had been amused by Gregory and Violet’s matchmaking efforts.  He had not thought that their efforts had any hope of succeeding.  Now, however, as they got into the car, Charlie began to wonder whether someday he and Jenny might be more than partners on the police force.

Chapter 9
    A Little Red Dot
     
    Charlie and Jenny walked through Lambert Airport toward the passenger pick-up area where they would meet the two FBI agents.  They glanced up at Charles Lindbergh’s original personal monocoupe plane, which was on display, suspended above the lower level of the main terminal.
    Because they were a few minutes early, they paused to look at one of the world’s largest airport murals entitled “Aviation … An American Triumph.”  The 142-foot painting by Siegfried Reinhardt traced the history of flight.
    The mural portrayed the ancient Greek myth showing the wings of Icarus melting when he flew too close to the sun, a giant 600-foot Chinese dragon kite, Leonardo da Vinci’s aviation designs, hot air balloons,  the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh’s flight from New York to Paris, and the space program.
    “There’s Neil Armstrong walking on the moon,” Jenny pointed at the astronaut in the mural.
    “Here’s a pop quiz for you,” Charlie said.  “Who was the second man to walk on the moon?”
    “Buzz Aldrin,” Jenny replied without hesitation.
    “Very good.   I actually met Buzz Aldrin some years ago.  While he was visiting a local bookstore, I shook hands with him and got his autograph.”
    “That’s nice that you got to meet him.”  She squinted and looked at the mural very carefully.  “Maybe Buzz Aldrin is in here somewhere.  Every time I look at this mural, I see something that I never noticed previously,” Jenny said.
    “So do I,” Charlie agreed.  “That also happens to me at the New Cathedral.  There are so many mosaics on the walls and ceiling that I always spot something new every time I go there.”
    “Did you know that there is a small Raggedy Andy mosaic included somewhere up there amidst all of the religious mosaics?”
    “You’re kidding?” Charlie asked in surprise.
    “No, really.”
    “Among all of those mosaics of Jesus, the apostles, and saints, there is a mosaic of Raggedy Andy?”
    “Yes, really.”
    “I recall that there are some pictures of modern saints like Katharine Drexel, Rose Philippine Duchesne, and Elizabeth Ann Seton in which they are depicted along with some orphans and other children that they taught.  Is one of the children holding the doll?”
    “I’m not telling, Charlie.  You’ll have to find the mosaic of the doll yourself the next time that you go there.”
    “And everyone tells me that I have such a nice partner.”  Charlie tried to glare at her, but he could not keep from laughing.
    “No one tells me that about my partner,” Jenny replied with a wide grin.
    “Hey!” Charlie said with mock outrage, then glanced down at the time on his cell phone.  “We’d better get over there to the gate.  They will be here any second.”
    “We don’t want to keep the FBI waiting.”
    Jenny and Charlie hurried over toward the passenger pick-up area and arrived just as two well-dressed men came through the gate.  They introduced themselves to David Hummel and Sam Troutman.
    “Is this your first time in St. Louis?” Jenny asked David.
    “Yes.  I grew up in Virginia.  This is my first time here.  I think that